I recently bought both the X-Files DVDs, and the chiefs X-Files nitpickers book, and am having a great time watching the eps and then reading the nits. Here is the first nit I found that I believe the chief missed.

It concerns Tooms new cacoon in the maintanence tunnel of the escalator. First, how and when did he build it? Mulder and Scully have to be let into the building by a guard, and Tooms has also been under surveillance for most of the time he's been out of the hospital. Second, did he really expect to remain in there undisturbed for the next 30 years? That escalator is gonna need regular servicing.

Lastely I'd like to add that the chief is a very funny guy. Thats one of the reasons I like his guides, he makes me laugh. Does anyone know what he's up to these days now that he no longer writes the guides?

He changed his name to Bill Gates, and is having marvelous luck with something called Windows.

But seriously, do you NOT see the resemblance?

Addressing Some of the Chief's Points

1. Why didn't Tooms escape? He didn't want to have the police on his tail--better to take the legal route out, especially if it's not going to be a big deal.

2. Why does Mulder kill Tooms? Probably heat of the moment thing, and Mulder doesn't want Tooms escaping through a crack in the machinery, I guess.

This episode actually has a lot of important points to it that sort of are missed, coming late in the season. It's Skinner's first appearance (and Mitch Pileggi already has his character down), the Cigarette-Smoking Man gets his first line ("Of course I do"), and there are a lot of great Mulder/Scully chemistry scenes (like in the stakeout car). Duchovny gets some marvelous comedy bits (I like the part where he harasses Tooms about his lost dog), but all of this does have an inverse reaction in that it hurts the character of Tooms somewhat. I mean, he's still frightening and all, but he never gets a chance to cut loose in a way that he did in his first episode.

I guess mulder kills tooms because he doesn't want to risk tooms escaping the legal system again.

phil wondered why tooms took the trouble of framing mulder instead of murdering him. I think he liked his revenge cold, since during the hearing the shrink said how tooms had learned to control his emotions and act rational etc.
Also, he probably knew that scully would come after him, while nobody would miss the doc.

I don't agree with mulder when he says during the hearing that tooms has to murder because of his genetic abnormality. He needs the enzymes from liver, but he could get liver another way. (Does it have to human liver?) Its like phil wrote about missed opportunities for the fat-sucking mutant in "2shy", who could have got his enzymes without killing people.

during the escalator scene, not only is there the problem of the direction and the emergency stop button, there is also the question of why tooms is yanked at all. When mulder crawls underneath the escalator, there is ample enough room to next step for him, and tooms is flatter than mulder. Even if he was crouched, making himself higher, he shouldn't be yanked that quickly - there aren't hooks on these stairs.

Not to be gory, but when tooms is crushed, shouldn't there be a lot more blood coming out than the small trickle?

Great line: "If there's anybody I want to suspended for, its you" scully to mulder in the car.
What better sign of love can someone demand?
Mulder, of course, can't cope with so much affection ...